1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a vehicular image display apparatus and method, more particularly, to a vehicular image display apparatus that is equipped with a camera disposed on a movable portion of a vehicle, for example, an outer mirror or the like, and that is suitable for displaying images of surroundings of the vehicle taken by the camera on a display means, and a vehicular image display method therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Known vehicular image display apparatuses are equipped with a camera disposed on a vehicle, and display images of surroundings of the vehicle taken by the camera on a display device disposed at such a position that a vehicle occupant can see the displayed image (e.g., see Japanese Patent No. 3352096). In such an image display apparatus, a predetermined fixed region is extracted from shot image data provided via the camera, and the extracted fixed region is magnified and displayed on the display device. More specifically, while the vehicle is running backward or is at a stop, a fixed image region near the vehicle is extracted to be displayed on the display device. On the other hand, while the vehicle is running forward, a fixed image region remote from the vehicle is extracted to be displayed on the display device. Thus, in the above-described conventional display apparatuses, the regions of camera-shot image data which are displayed on the display device are automatically changed for the time of backward run or stop of the vehicle and the time of forward run of the vehicle.
In vehicles, cameras are disposed not only on sites or members whose posture is kept unchanged with respect to the vehicle body, but also on movable portions, such as an outer mirror or the like, whose posture changes with respect to the vehicle body. In an arrangement where a camera is disposed on a movable portion, the position of the camera changes with respect to the vehicle body in accordance with changes in the operating position of the movable portion. If in this arrangement the region of camera-taken image data which is extracted and displayed on the display device is fixed to a predetermined partial region as in an apparatus described in Japanese Patent No. 3352096, the direction of a main axis of a taken image displayed on the display device with respect to the vehicle body appearing in the displayed taken image when the operating position of the movable portion is a first position (deployed position) and the direction of the main axis of a taken image displayed on the display device with respect to the vehicle body appearing in the displayed taken image when the operating position of the movable portion is a second position (retracted position) become different from each other. This may sometimes cause vehicle occupants to have incorrect recognition of the environments around the vehicles.